Sterile Services Team Leader

Job overview

The post holder will be a key member of the Decontamination Services department and will be responsible for leading a team of Technicians, carrying out the decontamination process ensuring that staff follow ISO 13485 for medical devices standards and local trust policies, to ensure a quality service is provided to customers.

Responsibilities will include carrying out the receipt, disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, packing and sterilisation of reusable medical devices and recording all tasks on the tracking and traceability database.

Main duties of the job

The post holder will be a key member of the Decontamination Services department and will be responsible for leading a team of Technicians, carrying out the decontamination process ensuring that staff follow ISO 13485 for medical devices standards and local trust policies, to ensure a quality service is provided to customers.

Responsibilities will include carrying out the receipt, disassembly, cleaning, reassembly, packing and sterilisation of reusable medical devices and recording all tasks on the tracking and traceability database.

Detailed job description and main responsibilities

• To ensure the supply of instrumentation to the Trusts theatres, plus all clinics, wards and departments and community.
• To maintain strong communication and liaise with all customers to facilitate a Quality Service. Use inter-personal skills with all colleagues within the department and the Trust.
• The ensure that the system and processes used in SSD comply with our Quality Management System which is accredited to ISO 13485:2016 and to assist the Quality Management when needed.
• Ensure compliance with Trust policies, procedure, and guidelines for self, and other by taking action/alerting senior management team if practice appears to contravene policy.
• Consult and discuss the workload with the Manager/Deputy/Supervisors daily.
• Organise and prioritise the throughput, ensuring adequate cover and staff skill mix is maintained throughout the department.
• Co-ordinate the process of instrument trays and supplementary packs in a timely manner for each Theatre / Clinic session, ensuring all trackable items are received and issued via the fingerprint system.
• Instruct staff as necessary, ensuring that all instrumentation is prioritised to meet demand.
• To ensure the telephones are always covered to ensure a response to urgencies.
• Work with SSD Supervisors to ensure the completion of MCHT equipment to ensure orders are ready in time for collection.
• Ensure all unused equipment is restocked and credited on the fingerprint system.
• Assist the management Team with the ongoing training of staff and ensuring their quality awareness.
• To attend staff and management team meetings to discuss the process and to ensure staff are kept up to date with changes and maintain good communications within the department.
• To always maintain stock levels in the Clean Room, documenting batch records information where appropriate, and reporting any supply or quality issues to QMR/Deputy.
• The ensure adequate stocks of equipment throughput the operational hours maintaining essential levels of instruments sets, Emergency, Specials, Trauma and General etc., which may be required out of hours.
• To use Fingerprint System to Track and Trace instrumentation sets through the decontamination process and ensure staff maintain quality by following work instructions.
• To be responsible for ensuring an accurate record of instruments for repair is made, and where the item is to be returned to, but also to follow up on these items.
• Assist the Management Team in maintaining Health & Safety in the workplace, Risk assessments, COSHH and The Monitoring of safe systems of work.
• Assist in any area within SSD as and when necessary and to be able to carry out all duties within the department, including operation of major equipment, sterilisers, and Washer Disinfectors.
• Promote people’s equality, diversity, and rights.
• Assist the Management Team in monitoring all workflows and processes within the department, to achieve a health, safe and securing working environment, ensuring compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, maintaining accurate documentation, and reporting any concerns.
• Maintain strong communication with theatre users/coordinators to ensure the correct prioritisation necessary to facilitate theatres and clinic sessions in a timely fashion.
• Use inter-personal skills to maintain good customer relations with the Trusts wards and departments and outside customers, to ensure a continued Quality Service.
• Take responsibility for own learning and development by recognising and taking advantage of all opportunities to learn, including full participation in KSF/appraisal, supervision, action learning and by maintaining a professional/personal portfolio of learning.
• Undertake any training and development necessary to maintain your skills and knowledge in the field of decontamination, and to assist in the ongoing training to of all staff within the department.